The position and the contents of this chapter should be carefully observed. It closes the section of the Book which tells how the Church was prepared to undertake the task of evangelizing the Gentile (non-Jewish) world. It shows the mad hatred felt by the Jews against the Christians, and their utter rejection of the Gospel – encouraging the believers even more to go and preach to the Gentiles. It also shows the protection which the Lord will give His witnesses as they go into all the world with His message. The hatred appears in the persecution which Herod undertook, merely to please the Jews; the Divine protection appears in the deliverance of Peter and in the death of Herod.
This Herod Agrippa had acquired the realm of his grandfather, Herod the Great. Like him, he was cruel, bloodthirsty, vain, and fond of magnificent display. He was always eager to win favor with the Jews; and therefore, learning of their hatred against the Church, he beheaded James and arrested Peter – intending to execute him also before very long.
This James was the Apostle who had been closely associated with Jesus, along with Peter and John. For him, his mother had asked a chief place in the Kingdom. Our Lord did not definitely refuse this; but He declared it must be deserved, and He warned James that he must expect to share His cup of suffering. Of that cup, James tasted the bitter dregs. In fact, he was the first among the the twelve Apostles of Christ to win the martyr’s crown.
The deliverance of Peter is related with graphic vividness and minute details. Once before, he had escaped from prison in Jerusalem; but now he is guarded with peculiar care. Sixteen soldiers are detailed – four for each of the four watches of the night. However, by supernatural power, and under the guidance of an angel, he finds himself free to leave the dungeon and to join the group of Christians who have met for prayer in the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark. The very fact of such Divine intervention indicates how serious the crisis was for the Church, and how great its peril was; but the Apostle’s deliverance was also a clear declaration that while a civil power might persecute, and while Christians might be compelled to suffer, no government nor tyrant can ever destroy the Church of Jesus Christ!
It has often been observed as being very true to nature that when Peter appeared in safety, in response to the prayers of the disciples, they did not believe that it could be Peter; rather, they thought that it must be his disembodied spirit. The servant maid, Rhoda, was the first of the group to believe that their prayers had truly been answered. While this part of the narrative rebukes our too-uncommon unbelief, it may encourage us to know that God often grants gracious answers to prayers of quite imperfect faith!
The Divine judgment visited upon Herod is declared to have been because “he gave not God the glory.” As a civil ruler, he owed his position to God, and was accountable to Him. His abuse of power – both in condemning innocent men, as well as in gratification of his personal vanity – was treason to the supreme Ruler of heaven and earth. It is a tragic picture: the king – clothed in a robe of silver sheen, seated upon a throne, and accepting Divine honors that belong to God alone – is suddenly smitten with a loathsome disease and is eaten by worms. It is a sad enough description, but what Christian in Jerusalem would not regard Herod’s fate as a Divine retribution for his attempt to destroy the Church of the living God?
Two great leaders of the Church, who had been in Jerusalem during these troublesome days, returned to Antioch with a new confidence that the living Christ would protect His witnesses. These two men were Barnabas and Saul, who were about to be sent out by the Church to begin the work of evangelizing the vast provinces of the Roman world.
Lord, we repent of times when we have offered up prayers in a spirit which doubts whether the Lord will truly answer them. We pray for grace to possess the same faith-filled spirit that believing Rhoda possessed! Amen.
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